


Solo Climber

by ColorlessPalette



Series: Behind Shut-Off Screens [1]
Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Angst, Gen, Headcanon, Meta, Sibling Rivalry, Siblings, Suicide Attempt, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 14:38:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19396204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColorlessPalette/pseuds/ColorlessPalette
Summary: Nana makes a vow to herself and aims to fulfill it, even if Popo gets hurt in the process.





	Solo Climber

“I want to become something more. Don’t you get it?” 

The girl adjusts her pink jacket. Despite living in cold weather all her life, a regretful chill nips at Nana’s spine as Popo looks her over with dull eyes. The evening would have been a relaxing, uneventful one, had it not been for Nana’s disobedient tongue. She shouldn’t have said anything. Downtime is supposed to be for rechargement; preparing for the next battle together, like they always do. 

Not this. 

“What are you saying?” His voice is numb, for he already has guessed even as the words leave his lips. Nana breathes in, sharply. 

“I want to separate. No longer shall I accept being a duel fighter with you.” 

It is strange how nonchalant Popo seems about the situation at hand. Nana guesses it’s her brother’s denial. They were rarely apart, after all. That all will change as Nana walks away without another word, moving towards the edge of the iceberg. Popo watches her go, not bothering to stop her. 

The next cycle is an oddity all its own. 

Nana feels herself get chosen; the red aura of an outside presence envelops her, and her alone. A booming voice echoes through her ears, causing a ringing that was never there when Popo was around. 

“ICE… CLIMBER???” 

The aura hesitates, and for once, since that night, Nana is having second thoughts about this whole solo thing. A part of her silently begs for the being to pick another fighter. Any hope is dashed as a second click locks her in place. She stands straighter, as if allowing herself to feel proud of this. It is the day she finally becomes her own. 

Every single matchup is painful for Nana. She has never felt so unsure of herself, so small. She felt overshadowed as a duel fighter, but now she wishes to retreat to the shadow once more. It isn’t only her mental state that suffers, physical even more so. Her dodges, if you dan even call them that, are only able to avoid the weakest of attacks. Her hammer swings feel misguided and alien, clumsily led by her shaking mitts. They rarely hit. Opponent after opponent buries her in a world of high damage counters and brutal injuries. It gets to the point where Nana no longer envies the other climbers. Against her fragile will, she begins to enjoy watching the percentiles rack up; the stocks deplete and fill her with something she is truly frightened to feel. Is this happiness? Perhaps she has found her true calling after all. On the outside, the joystick moves all its own. Self destruct after self destruct follows. 

It is only a week later that Popo gathers the courage to find his sister. Approaching her silently, he finds her at the final destination, dangling her boot clad feet over the gaping void below. If there is a double meaning, Popo has no desire to learn of it. He sits down beside his little sister, and he sees the tear stains on her face, still fresh. 

“Are you alright?” the question travels through the empty space around them, barely reaching Nana’s ears. She turns her face away from him. 

“I thought that I was stronger than this.” 

Popo removes his hood, revealing short tawny hair. He rests his mallet behind him and puts a gloved hand on Nana’s shaking shoulder. “You are,” he says, attempting to smile. It breaks his heart to see his sister like this, and yet as the older of the two he must set an example. “There are just some battles-” 

“That I’m too weak for?” Nana growls. 

“That one cannot fight alone,” Popo finishes calmly. “And right now, you cannot fight this battle alone.” 

“The next match is something I will take on myself.” 

Popo reaches an arm forwards, and Nana looks up, at her brother’s face. His eyes are shimmering, and yet sadness and tears lie trapped just beneath the surface. Nana takes a good second before realizing that he is crying too. “I’m not talking about a smash battle,” he replies, motioning his hand towards her with importance. “I’m talking about you. And whatever you are struggling with, I promise we’ll fight it together.” 

Nana stares at his empty hand. Thoughts fly in front of her eyes. She is scared to tell her brother of all her inner turmoil, the demons that won’t let her be. And yet, she wants to. She knows it’s best. After all, what is the point in crushing ice with a weak mallet? You must allow it to thaw before going at it all at once. Nana stares at Popo’s empty hand. 

And she takes it.


End file.
